Boat motor combo

[TMALEGA]

Hope this is in the right area. But as many people on here are aware i am sure my transom cracked this last weekend. I found a donor boat today i am looking at this evening. My question is this. Currently they have a 125hp johnson on it that the reverse is out of. I have a 1985 85 hp force outboard on my current boat. Would that be enough power for a aluminum boat 18 foot long? I know very little of anything i am looking at this evening. Other then he said it is a 83 starcraft and from the pics it looks like it is in great shape. My thoughts were to either use the force until either the force gives up or i can get the lower unit in the johnson working again. So again i know very little and i know that doesnt help i am just looknig for a general idea of rather or not my 85hp will be enough to push this boat or not.

I had heard that it is easier for a smaller motor to push a larger boat with weight in it since the displacement is greater. Then the same motor on a smaller boat. I may get this boat tonight if it looks and is as sound as it looks in the pics.

 

[Lawnmedic]

Re: Boat motor combo

Your 85hp engine should push the boat ok. I would get the 125 checked out, you may be able to get a net lower unit from SEI for it.

 

[TMALEGA]

Re: Boat motor combo

Well i went and looked at it and there were a few concerns i had over it. First off the trailor looked like it was going to fall apart on the road. Second there was no protection on the wood in the transom for the splashwell drain. It felt hard but that was what was wrong with my boat when i got it and it had quite a bit of rot in it, there were multiple holes in it that were jb welded back together. The boat motor was in sad shape and disrepair, the tilt and trim system was snapped at the shafts. So i told the guy thanks but no thanks. The boat over all may have been good but that transom really worried me it seemed strong but having seen how the motor was taken care of i was worried to get into a second money pit worse then i already had. I found a local dealer who said he has a few with new transoms and floors missing motors with a trailor he would let me have for around 700 so i am gonig to go look tomorrow. I do appreciate the advice though. O and for the icing on the cake he had the title for both the motor and boat , however they were in po before his name still from over a year ago. It all seemed really fishy to me. So i keep looking.